Cord Magic
Many Witches and covens work Cord Magick. For this you will need a cord, or cingulum as it is some- times called, that is nine feet long (three times three; the perennial magick number) and is red in color (the color of blood; the life force). But, you can use another color if you have different cords for specific purposes (see color symbolism in correspondence tables). It is best to make your own by taking three lengths of silk (or wool, nylon, whatever you prefer - though natural materials are preferred) and braid them yourself so the three become one cord. As you braid, concentrate on putting your energies into it so that it becomes another part of you. Tie a knot at each end to keep it from unraveling. Make sure it is nine feet long.
Consecrate the cord, when done. Some traditions use their cords tied about their robes and wear them all the time at Circles. I would suggest you keep yours for strictly magical use, since it is a purely magical instrument. When not in use, keep it wrapped in a piece of clean cloth.
One magical use of the cord is as a "storage cell" for the power. Rather than dancing around and working as a group, the coven will work as individuals, sitting and chanting, holding the cord in hand (the same is obviously done by the Solitary). As the power starts to build, each covener will - taking her own time and ignoring, or mentally separating herself from, the others - pause from time to time to tie a knot in her cord. The first knot is tied at one end, with the words "By knot of one, the spell's begun." She will then go back to chanting - sometimes swaying from side to side, or back and forth - until she feels it is time to tie another knot. This is tied in the opposite end with the words: "By knot of two, it cometh true". Then back to the chanting. As she chants, she also pictures what she wants ... she focuses the power. So it goes on; chanting and picturing, then tying a knot. As the power builds, more knots are tied until there are nine knots in the cord. They are tied in a particular pattern and with appropriate words. The first knot, as I have said, is tied at one end; the second at the other end. The third is tied in the middle. The fourth is halfway between the first and third; the fifth halfway between the second and third. Here is the pattern of tying, together with the appropriate words:
| By knot of ONE, the spell's begun |  |
| By knot of TWO, it cometh true |  |
| By knot of THREE, so mote it be |  |
| By knot of FOUR, this power I store |  |
| By knot of FIVE, the spell's alive |  |
| By knot of SIX, this spell I fix |  |
| By knot of SEVEN, events I'll leaven |  |
| By knot of EIGHT, it will be Fate |  |
| By knot of NINE, what's done is mine |  |
At the tying of the last (ninth) knot, all the energy is directed into the cord and its knots, with a final visualization of the object of the work. The power has been raised and is now "stored" in these knots in the cord. There are old woodcuts, from the Middle Ages, which show Witches selling knotted cords to sailors. They were supposed to have tied-up winds in the cords so that if the sailor needed a wind for his ship he just untied a knot and got it-one knot for a light breeze, two for a strong wind and three for a gale!
Why would you want to store a spell? For some magick, the time for it to happen is important. Suppose, for example, that you want something constructive to happen but the most propitious time for it to do so happens to be close to the New Moon. Do you do your constructive magick during the Waxing Moon? No. You do it early on, at the Full Moon, using a cord. Now the power is there, properly raised, but stored for use.
You have nine knots. Although they are all tied in one ritual, these must be released one at a time-one a day-for nine consecutive days. Release them in the same order in which they were tied, NOT the reverse order. In other words, on the first day untie the knot that was first tied (at one end); on the second day, the second knot tied (at the other end); and so on. In this fashion, the last knot untied, on the ninth day, is the ninth knot that was tied at the climax of the tying ritual- the time of greatest power. Each day, before you actually untie, do your concentration on what is to happen, rocking and again building power. Then, as you release the knot, release the power also with a shout. One note: Any number of times, after I had empowered the cord and put it away, when I went to use it I didn't know which end was which! So I couldn't untie my knots in order. It's a good idea to mark one end (right or left) and always mark the same end.
Here is another chant for tying your knots. This is by Doreen Valiente published in Witchcraft For Tomorrow.
THE SPELL OF THE CORD
By the knot of one
The spell's begun.
By the knot of two
It cometh true.
By the knot of three
Thus shall it be.
By the knot of four
'Tis strengthened more.
By the knot of five
So may it thrive.
By the knot of six
The spell we fix.
By the knot of seven
The Stars of Heaven.
By the knot of eight
The hand of fate.
By the knot of nine
The thing is mine.
Another use of the cords is in dancing, to raise power. Each Witch holds the two ends of her cord, with the center looped through that of the person opposite her in the Circle:
Instead of holding hands to dance around, the coven is connected with the intertwining cords like the spokes of a wheel.
Most of the information on cord magic is from:
Buckland's Complete Book Of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland
taken from: http://spiritpaths.crosswinds.net/magic.htm
